Conditioning cutlery sharpener



` sept.;` 22, 1953 C. C. RENTERIA `CONDITIONING CUTLERY SHARPENER Filed April 12, 1952 ql f f2? ,/0 l az 125i www" i mv" j Imlw" i www 1l V/f t FT 1:37.!

I' '1' 52 l l U" i|4| JW "IlmA "um" ilm'llmll lulu 3y f r f Q im Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE CONDITIONING CUTLERY SHARPENER Cruz C. Rentera, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 12, 1952, Serial No. 282,063

8 Claims. 1

My inventionl relates to the conditioning of cutlery Sharpeners, and more particularly, to the conditioning of razor strops and the like so as to impart to such conditionedstrops uniquely advantageous properties-for use in thesharpening of straight edge razors.

It is well known that after continued use razor strops tend to become decreasingly eiiective. The reasons for such decrease in eiectiveness are believed to include accumulation of dirt and the l like upon the strop, deformation of the normal strop surface structure, and various other factors which are not completely understood. Vari ous methods and devices have been suggested for conditioning such strops so that their eii'ectiveness is allegedly improved or substantially fully returned to their original effectiveness; but it has been found that most of such suggestions are defective or unsatisfactory for one reason or another.

At present, the most common practice among barbers and others who are vitally concerned with solving this problem involves the use of soap and water in more or less of a scrubbing and laundering operation. This procedure also has been found to have limited effectiveness. Other procedures using abrasives or the like have been found to cause too rapid wearing of the strops.

The instant invention provides for uniquely effective strop conditioning by the use of a particular combination of delicate controlled strop contact the use of electrostaticlines of force and/or magnetic lines of force. In other words, the instant invention provides a unique means for conditioning a strop, employing electrostatic generation or induction, and also a unique means for employing in combination therewith magnetic lines of force.

It is, therefore, an important object of the instant invention to provide an improvement in the conditioning of cutlery Sharpeners, in particular, the conditioningr of razor strops.

It is a further object of the instant invention to provide an improved device for electrostatic generation for use in the conditioning of razor strops.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide an improved device for employing magnetic lines of force in the conditioning of a razor strop. v

It is still a further object of the instant invention to provide an improved device for employing in combination electrostatically generated lines of force and magnetic lines of force in razor strop conditioning.

It is still another object of the instant :invention to provide a device comprising an insulator frame, a iiat conductor table-top therefor, a plurality of insulator guidewaysin said lframe engaging said table-top, a reciprocal insulator carriage adapted to rubbingly engage a 'strop or the like to be conditioned mounted on said table-top, and insulator guide arms for said carriage slidably mounted in said guideways for electrostatic generation during carriage reciprocation. (As used herein, the terms conductor and insulator mean materials or structures which are electrical conductors or insulators, respectively.)

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description of the embodiment illustrated in the acompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a strop conditioning device embodying the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational View taken substantially along the line III-III oi Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the roll show in Figure 3, with parts shown in section and parts broken away;

Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the table-top plate of Figure 3, with parts broken away; and

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational detail view taken substantially along the line VI-VI of Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral III indicates generally a conditioning device for a strop conditioner adapted for use in the conditioning of a leather razor strop II. The strop II has an elongated flat body portion to which is connected at one end a suitable handle I la.

The strop conditioner I0 comprises a frame of wood or other suitable insulating material that consists of two ends or cross pieces I2 and I3, each having a pair of integral legs I2@ and I2b, and Ita and |317, respectively, which contact a suitable surface upon which the device I!) is to be mounted. The end pieces or walls I2 and I3 extend upwardly in parallel generally vertical planes and have extending therebetween a vertical back wall I4 which extends between the baci: legs I 2b and |311` and upwardly between the walls I2 and I3 to the same height as the walls I2 and I3.

Also, there is a horizontal lower shelf member I5 which extends forwardly from the back wall I4 between the end walls I2 and I3 the full width of the end walls just above the leg portions of each. The second or middle shelf I6, likewise, extends between the Walls i2 and I3 in spaced horizontal substantially parallel relationship with respect to the lower shalf I5. The middle shelf I6, however,` does not contact the back wall I4, but is spaced therefrom. It will thus be seen that the strop conditioner I comprises a rigid supporting insulator frame comprising the side walls I2 and I3, the back wall |4 and the lower and middle shelves I and I6, which are secured together at their various points of contact by means of nails, screws, or the like. It will be appreciated, of course, that the insulator frame just described may also be formed of other suitable insulating materials such as synthetic resin plastics or plywood materials.

It will also be seen that the shelves I5 and I6 divide the frame into what constitutes a lower chamber A and an upper chamber B, the lower chamber A being defined by the shelves I5 and I6 in conjunction with the side Walls I2 and I3 and the back wall I4, and the upper chamber B being an open topped chamber defined by the middle shelf I6, the back wall I4 and the side walls I2 and I3.

-As shown best in Figure 3, the chamber A is provided with a ila-t piece of glass I1 which rests upon the lower shelf I5 and defines a floor for the chamber A. Also a second fiat piece of glass I9 is secured to the bottom of the middle shelf I6 and, like the floor piece |1, extends the full width of the wooden shelf to which it is secured so as to define a ceiling for the chamber A. A back wall for the chamber A is provided by the vertical flat piece of glass I9 which, likewise, extends the full distance between the walls I2 and I3 and extends vertically from the top of the shelf I5 upwardly through the space between the back wall I4 and the middle shelf I6 to a short distance below the top of the back wall I4.

The floor and ceiling plates I1 and I8 of the chamber A engage the back glass wall I9, and also are preferably maintained in spaced relationship by means of spacers 20 and 2| (Fig. l) which may be made of wood or glass and which extend substantially the full width of the walls I2 and I3 and lie closely adjacent to the walls I2 and I3, respectively. It will thus be seen that the flat glass pieces I1, I8 and I9 define a horizontal guideway extending longitudinally or" the frame I0, for purposes which will be explained in detail hereinafter.

Referring now to the chamber B, as shown best also in Figure 3, it will be seen that a flat glass piece 22 of substantially the same size and shape as the glass pieces I1 and I9 is mounted upon the top side of the middle shelf I6 so as to define a glass floor for the chamber B. A vertically extending front wall 23, which is made of glass also, extends upwardly from the glass floor 22 to about one-half of the height of the chamber B and extends longitudinally thereof the full distance between the side walls I2 and I 3.

As shown best in Figure l, a pair of end Walls 24 and 25 adjacent the side walls I2 and I3, respectively, extend upwardly from the glass floor 22 between the back wall I9 and the front wall 23 to the full height of the back wall I9. The lower portion of the chamber B, which extends to the height of the front wall 23 is filled with rosin 2E which is poured or cast into that portion of the chamber B and allowed to set therein so as to define a generally fiat rectangularly cross-sectioned cake of rosin.

The top of the chamber B is defined by a tabletop assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral 21. As will be seen from Figures 1, 2, and 3, the table-top assembly 21 rests upon the top edges of the back glass wall I9 and the short end glass walls 24 and 25 defining the chamber B, and the top surface of the table-'00P assembly is flush with the top edges of the frame back wall I4 and the frame side walls I2 and I3.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 5, the table-top assembly 21 comprises a flat generally rectangular top plate 28 and a similarly shaped bottom plate 29, each of which is made of a suitable conductor such as aluminum or any other suitable metal conductor. The top and bottom plates 28 and 29, respectively, extend in spaced parallel relationship from the back frame wall I4 to the front edge of the side walls I2 and I3 and the full longitudinal distance of the frame between the side or end walls I2 and I3.

`sandwiched between the top :and bottom plates 28 and 29, respectively, is a rosin layer 30, which comprises a relatively thin sheet or slab of cast rosin or the like fusible thermoplastic insulator material having embedded therein finely divided particles of magnetic iron. Preferably, the magnetic iron is the so-calledmagnetic dust obtained by pulverizing or grinding a permanent iron magnet or load stone. `The magnetic dust is embedded in the rosin matrix forming the layer 30 so as to define an insulator layer having variable magnetic properties. In other words, the magnetic iron particles impart magnetic properties to the entire layer 30, but such magnetic properties may be altered by exposure of the layer 30 to another suitable source of magnetic lines of force, such as a permanent magnet. The tabletop assembly is preferably held together by a plurality of nut and bolt assemblies 3|, which pass through apertures, such as at 32 (Fig. 5) in the lower plate 29, and which have screw heads counter-sunk in the upper plate 29 to present a top smooth surface, as is well known in the art.

It will thus be seen that the instant conditioner is provided with an internal glass frame, wherein there is glass-to-glass contact between each of the various glass plate members thereof, which include the plates l1, I9, I9, 22, 23, 24 and 25, as well as the spacers 20 and 2|, if such are glass. As will be pointed out hereinafter, the purpose of the inner glass frame just described is for use in electrostatic generation, and it will be appreciated that other insulators similarly responsive electrostatic induction processes may be employed in place of the glass. In fact, it is preferable to employ rosin, as in the layer 26, to provide at least one such guideway.

I have found, however, that the results obtained in the practice of my invention are consistently superior using the instant glass structure with only the one rosin surface, and glass is therefore preferred for use in the instant invention in the inner frame work as just described.

Referring again to Figure 3, it will be seen that the frame III mounts a reciprocal carriage assembly designated generally by the reference numeral 3|. The assembly 3| comprises a manually graspable means or handle 32 extending vertically upwardly from an integral flattened insulator head portion 33 preferably of wood, which presents a bottom rubbing face 33a that lies laterally of the strop upon the top surface thereof for rubbingly engaging the same during carriage reciprocation.

LThe head portion 33 is wrapped by a supporting band, such as the wire 34, which supporting band may be employed to affix the head portion 33 to the top of a vertically extending-brass mounting arm 35. If preferred, the mounting arm 35 may be secured to the head portion 33 by other means, of course, the main object being to provide a rigid structure whereby the head pormenaces tion 33 extends Almrtznontally and .the vertical movement thereof is controlled by vertical move- .ment of the arm 35. The ann 35 extends downwardly to be engaged by a sleeve36, wherein there is mounted .a wing bolt 3l to provide for adjustable mounting of the arm .35m the sleeve 36, as is well understood.

The sleeve 36 is xedly-mounted on a carriage guide or frame 38, comprising .a vertically extending body piece 38a which mounts the sleeve 13B and lies closely adjacent the arm 35, and an upper 38h and .a lower 38e guide arm extending into said frame lb from the upper and lower :extremiti respectively, lof the guide body 38m;

As will be seen from Figure 3, thelowerguide arm 38e extends into the lower chamberA,sub stantially the full lateral4 dimension or width thereof; and the arm 38o is wrapped by an insulator fabric-like material, preferably a .tur 33, which completely insulates the brass arm 38o from the glass pieces Il, I8, i9, 2B: .and 2l in the chamber A. `It will thus be seen that reciproca- Vtion of the carriage assembly 3l causes guided sliding engagement betweenthe fur-#Wrapped arm 38o and the glass in the chamber A, thereby generating static electricity.

Although the vprecise phenomena involved in obtaining the uniquely advantageous results which are obtained in the practice of my invention cannot be fully understood, because such are I essentially electrical phenomena, I have come to certain conclusions which I wish to submit for the beneiit of those skilled in the art, but by which it will be understood I am not to be bound. For example, it is understood that so-called frictional electricity or static electricity may be generated by rubbing glass with fur, in which case the glass assumes a positive charge and the fur becomes negatively charged. Itis also known that conductors such as the metals including brass and aluminum may become charged with static electricity, for example, by contacting the same with one of the insulators such as glass or fur that is employed in an electrostatic induction or generation operation such as that just described.

It is also a fundamental rule of electrostatic generation that the generation of a given positive or negative charge at one extremity of insulator has the effect of inducing an opposite charge at the opposite end thereof, whereas a conductor invcontact with one or the other of such ends is charged the same as the end of the insulator with which it is in contact.

Although there have been occasional suggestions concerning the use of rubbing of a material such as a razor strop so as to induce static electricity by such rubbing, such procedures would be unsatisfactory in that the rubbing itself must necessarily involve severe abrasive action with respect to the strop, Whereas in my invention, I may use controlled contact and rubbing to precisely the extent desired and also I mayv effect electrostatic generation involving the generation of substantially greater electrostatic potential by means of rubbing engagement which does not involve abrasive action upon the strop itself and which does involve the use of materials best suited for electrostatic generation.

`In addition, I have found that there is a certaing amount of current leakage through the strop. Such current leakage would, of course, effectively induce a new magnetic eld in the layer and this newly induced magnetic field, presumably effectively creates lines of force which pass. through the leather strop. Itis now my belief that the unique cooperation between the electrostatic forces and4 .the magnetic forces, conceivably also in addition to the forces created by current leakage through the leather strop, bring about the. entirely new and greatly improved strop conditioning eiect `which I obtain in the practice of my invention. The peculiar cooperation between these various energy sources or lines of force is not completely understood, but it has been found that by the use of both of the sources of lines of force (electrostatic as well as magnetic) herein described, I am able to obtain results substantially superior to those obtained by the use of only one of such sources. The use of either one alone, however, produces good results in the practice of the instant invention.

Referring again to Figure 3, it will be seen that the top guide arm 38h extending inwardly from the upper extremityvof the guide body 38a also has a fur or Wool wrap 40 thereabout so as to eiectively insulate the same against contact with the top surface of the rosin cake 26 as Well as the various glass plates 23, 2d, 25 and I9. It will thus besecn that the guide member 38 effectively guides the movement of the carriage assembly 3l and also by virtue of the sliding en'- gagement of such wrapped guide member 38 affordsmeans for electrostatic generation.

Referring now to Figure 6, it will be seen that the carriage base 33 has affixed at the bottom thereof a relatively soft resilient rubber-like fabric Wrap 4i which forms an outside layer, the bottom of which constituting the bottom face 33a oi the base, hereinbefore mentioned. This resilient cloth wrap 4I is adapted to smoothly and unabrasively engage the razor strop Il so as to make light rubbing contact therewith. Preferably, the fabric wrap 4l covers a layer 42, which in turn is Wrapped about a permanent magnet 43 securely aflixed to the bottom portion of the base 33 and extending the full width thereof. The inner Wrap42 is preferably composed of a iexble kmaterial such as a rubberized fabric having impregnated therein iron particles such as magnetic dust, hereinbefore described. In general. the cooperation between the members 42 and 43 is such that a magnetic field is maintained thereby, the outer Wrap .4| serving, among other things, as v an insulator, and being securely clamped to the base 33, as by means of the wire loop 34 (as shown in Figure 6).

It will thus be seen that the instant invention provides for the use of means for conditioning a razor strop which necessitate the minimum controlled Wear and tear on the strop and the use of lines of `force (magnetic as well as elecrostatic) through means which are not directly involved in the rubbing or abrasive contact be tween the carriage assembly 3l and the strop I l.

In addition, I have found that rubbing contact between the strop and the carriage member can be reduced to a substantial minimum by the use of a roller 44 (Fig. 4) as a substitute for the fabric wrap Hand magnet members 42 and 43 wrapped thereby. As will be seen from Figure 4, the roller 44 comprises an inner brass or `suitable rigid metal roll 45 suitably equipped with stub shafts 46, 46 that the roll may be mounted for rotationfas is Well understood in the art, an inner sleeve layer 41 wrapped about and cncasing the brass roll45 and an insulator rubberized fabric wrap 4B therefor. The sleeve layer 4711s. preferably 'composed of rosin or fabric or the like insulator having embedded therein magnetic dust, as hereinbefore described, so that the layer 4l is also capable oi providing variable' magnetic lines of force. The roller 44 may be mounted rotatably upon the head portion 33 so.l as to operate in place of the magnet members 42.4 and 43 and their fabric wrap 4|, or the roller 44I may be used in conjunction with a permanent magnet, such as 43,'mounted in the head portion 33 above the roller 44.

Also, the roller 44 may be mounted rotatably, as on the arms 49 shown in Figure 3 mounted on the top guide arm 38o. The roller 44 thus posi# tioned assists in the guiding function by contact ing the table-top 21 and may assist in electrostatic'generation by such contact. In additiony the roller 44 presents an additional source for the formation of magnetic lines of force.

As another advantageous aspect of the in stant device, I should like to point out that the instant device may also be used to condition the: so-called Butchers steel or honing device for sharpening cutlery. In this use the operation is the same'except that the honing instrument replaces the leather razor strop, the conditioning being most advantageously eiiected presumably' because of the presence of the magnetic lines of' force.

It will, of course, be understood that certain of the various foregoing details of structure and operation herein set forth relate specifically to the instant example described herein, and Various of such details may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention; and it is not, therefore, the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the class described comprising an insulator frame, a flat conductor table-top` therefor, a plurality of insulator guideways in said frame engaging said table-top, a reciprocatable insulator carriage adapted to rubbingly en gage a strop or the like to be conditioned mounted on said table-top', and insulator guide arms for said carriage slidably mounted in said guideways for electrostatic generation during carriage reciprocation.

2. A device of the class described comprising a stationary wooden frame, an elongated flat aluminum table-top mounted thereon for receiving and supporting a strop to be conditioned, a. glass guideway mounted in said frame longitudinally of said table-top and engaging the same from beneath, a reciprocatable brass carriage frame, a fur-covered arm on said carriage frame slidably engaging said guideway for electrostatic generation during carriage reciprocation, and an insulator fabric mounted on said carriage frame for rubbing contact with the strop during carriage reciprocation.

3. A device of the class described comprising an insulator frame, a at conductor table-top therefor toreceive a strop or the like, said tabletop comprising a magnetizable layer of magnetic iron particles finely dispersed in an insulator rosin matrix sandwiched between conductor plates, a plurality of insulator guideways in said frame engaging said table-top, a reciprocatable insulator carriage adapted to rubbingly engage a strop or the like to be conditioned and mounted on said table-top and insulator guide arms for said carriage slidably mounted in said guideways forelectrostatic induction during carriage 4reoiprocation.

4. A device of the class described comprising an insulator frame, a fiat conductor table-top therefor to receive a strop or the like, lsaid table* top-comprising a magnetizable l-ayer of magnetic iron particles finely dispersed in an insulator rosin matrix sandwiched between conductor plates, a plurality of glass guideways mounted in said frame and engaging said table-top, at least one of said glass guideways having mounted thereon as a guiding surface component a layer 'of rosin, a reciprocatable insulator carriage :adapted to engage a strop or the like mounted on fsaid table-top, and insulator guide arms for said marriage slidably mounted in said guideways.

5. A device of the class described comprising fan insulator frame, a iiat conductor table-top therefor to receive a strop or the like, said table- 'top comprising a magnetizable layer of magnetic iron particles finely dispersed in an insulator rosin matrix sandwiched between conductor plates,4 a plurality of guideways in said frame, a carriage mounted for reciprocal movement in Isaid guideways, and a magnet mounted in said carriage and adapted to be positioned close to but insulated from the strop during rubbing contact between the carriage and the strop.

6. A device of the class described, comprising an insulator frame, a flat conductor table-top therefor to receive a strop or the like, said tabletop comprising a magnetizable layer of magnetic iron particles finely dispersed in an insulator rosin matrix sandwiched between conductor plates, a plurality of guideways in said frame, a carriage mounted for reciprocal movement in said guideways, and an insulator member mounted on said carriage for rubbing contact with the strop during carriage reciprocation, said insulator member comprising an insulator fabric wrap and an inner magnetizable layer of magnetic iron particles iinely dispersed in an insulator matrix wrapped by said insulator fabric.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a stationary wooden frame, an elongated flat aluminum table-top mounted thereon for receiving and supporting a strop to be conditioned, a plurality o1' glass guideways mounted in said frame longitudinally of said table-top and engaging the same from beneath, a reciprocatable brass carriage frame, a plurality of fur-covered arms on said carriage frame slidably engaging said guideway for electrostatic generation during carriage reciprocation, and a rosin slab interposed between at least one of said fur-covered carriage arms and the glass guideway adjacent thereto.

8. A device of the class described, comprising a stationary wooden frame, a iiat conductor table-top therefor to receive a strop or the like, said table-top comprising a magnetizable layer of magnetic iron particles finely dispersed in an insulator rosin matrix sandwiched between a pair of flat elongated aluminum plates, a plurality of glass guideways mounted in said frame longitudinally of said table-top having glass-to-glass contact therebetween and having glass-to-aluminum contact, a reciprocable insulator carriage adapted to engage a strop or the like mounted on said table-top, and insulator guide arms for said carriage slidably mounted in said guideways.

CRUZ C. RENTERIA.

` yNo references cited. 

